DISINFO: Hatred of Russians is the meaning of Ukrainians' existence
SUMMARY
Russians are not human in the eyes of Ukrainians, but subjects for destruction. Ukraine is a territory occupied by fascists, for them hating Russians is the meaning of existence.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that Ukraine is an anti-Russian, Russophobic state.
The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine has been the cornerstone of Russian disinformation about the country since the beginning of the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests, when it was used to discredit the pro-European popular uprising in Kyiv and, subsequently, the broader pro-Western shift in Ukraine's foreign policy. The accusation of Nazism is one of the favourite techniques of pro-Kremlin outlets, read our past analysis Nazi east, Nazi west, Nazi over the cuckoo's nest.
Ukraine does not follow any anti-Russian agenda. The relationships between Ukraine and Russia are defined by international agreements, including the UN Charter which requires states to respect the sovereignty of other states and the Friendship Treaty between the two countries. However, the relations severely deteriorated after the Russian illegal annexation of Crimea. The Kremlin provoked other events, including the war in Donbas and the seizure of the Ukrainian ships in the Kerch strait in November 2018, that undermined the bilateral relations.
See similar narratives alleging that Euromaidan was a coup led by the fascists; EU accepts a Kyiv government, filled to the brim with Nazis; Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic authorities associate themselves with Hitler; and Ukraine is an anti-Russian project of the CIA.